GEORGE TOWN, Oct 30 — DAP will be fielding two new faces in Penang, party secretary-general Anthony Loke announced today.
The first is Penang DAP secretary Lim Hui Ying, who will be contesting in Tanjong, the seat previously held by state DAP chairman Chow Kon Yeow, who is also its chief minister.
Tanjong is a DAP stronghold that was previously held by her father and DAP stalwart, Lim Kit Siang, between 1986 and 1999.
Incumbent Tanjong MP Chow has held the seat from 1999 to 2013 and from 2018.
Chow will instead be contesting in Batu Kawan, taking over from incumbent MP Kasthuriraani Patto, who recently announced her decision not to defend her seat.
Loke also said DAP will be appointing an ethnic Indian to replace Hui Ying as senator.
The second new face is Syerleena Abdul Rashid, the current Seri Delima assemblyman.
She will be contesting in Bukit Bendera, the parliamentary seat previously held by Wong Hon Wai.
Loke said incumbent Bukit Bendera MP Wong Hon Wai had agreed to give way to Syerleena.
He also hinted that Wong will be fielded in a state seat in future.
“Wong has given way but this does not mean he will be retiring. Instead, he will be helping with the state government after this,” Loke said.
Wong is a first-term MP and was previously the Ayer Itam assemblyman between 2008 and 2018.
He was also previously the state executive councillor for housing, urban and rural planning.
“The candidates that we field nationwide is diverse and here in Penang we have selected candidates from diverse backgrounds,” Loke said at the launch of Konvoi Harapan here this morning.
“Our strength lies in diversity and this list of selected candidates were approved by both the state and national leadership,” he said.
He said the candidates proposed by the state DAP committee has been accepted by the party’s national selection committee.
“So, there is no dispute on the candidates list and I hope they will receive full support from all party members during the campaign period,” he said.
He added the DAP’s four incumbent MPs in Penang will be defending their respective parliamentary seats.
DAP national chairman Lim Guan Eng will seek re-election in Bagan, Steven Sim Chee Keong will defend his Bukit Mertajam seat, RSN Rayer the Jelutong seat and Ramkarpal Singh, Bukit Gelugor.
Pakatan Harapan will be contesting in all 13 parliamentary seats in Penang, with DAP in seven, PKR in four and the remaining seats will go to Amanah and Muda.
Nomination day is on November 5 while polling day is on November 19.
Penang will not be holding concurrent state and parliamentary polls this year.
